A Friend To Live For
by Lollipop456
Summary: Jack Aubrey is in oblivion when Stephen Maturin spikes a fever that could end his life. Movieverse. First JackxStephen friendship fic. Don't flame me! Chapter 1 is up.
1. Chapter 1

Doctor Stephen Maturin sat and watched the waves slowly roll in, sketching the remarkable beauty of the ocean blue. Stephen had been sick with a cold for the last week, and to be outside in the sun was a treat. Another wave crashed against the rocks, and Stephen quickly removed his pencil to draw it. Captian Jack Aubrey came from behind him, his telescope in one hand and a map in the other...the poor man was trying his best to direct the HMS Surprise back to England, but a storm brewed and they had no idea where they were...only they were off the coast. "Perhaps I could sketch the rocks a little more...but the beauty is out in the ocean." Stephen explained. "Ah...Maybe you can rest and save the ocean for another time when you aren't recovering from a dreadful cold" Jack said with a raised eyebrow. "It's a cold, Jack...I haven't had a fever since I was shot last Summer" Stephen smiled. "And even then you're condition was fatal, which I blame myself for...and I would be pleased if I had the honor of urging you to rest." Jack joked. "As you please, Captian" Stephen whispered. When Stephen stood up, his head felt woozy...it could of been because of the swaying feel of the ship, or perhaps the hot sun but it was the worse feeling he had ever had...everything was spinning!

Stephen stumbled across the ship, before collapsing onto his knees. Jack raced over to his ailing friend, and wrapped him in his embrace. "I'm all right. Dizzy spells are common after a cold" Stephen whispered. He struggled to stand, but finally made it down to the sick cargo. Where he collapsed at the bottom of the stairs. Jack found him and tried to wake him up...nothing. "Stephen! Stephen! Come on, man...Answer me. Answer Jack." Jack called out. Nothing. Jack moved Stephen to a hammock and covered him with a warm blanket, afraid to leave his side...but none the less, he had to find Higgins. Jack searched the ship and found Higgins pulling a foul tooth from a crewman's mouth. "Higgins...It's the doctor. His condition has worsened beyond my knowledge" Jack explained. The two raced to Stephen, only to find him panting and sweating. What was wrong? Was Jack going to lose his friend any second?


	2. Captian Friend

Jack waited nervously for Higgins to finish examining Stephen, his hands were cold and shaky...his body had aches all over it.Jack's nerves were about to drive him off the wall when Higgins came into his cabin. "How bad off is he?" Jack asked. "Well, he seems to be losing strength every second...but I think it's just a side effect from that cold and what not" Higgins explained. "Don't lie to me, Higgins...How bad is it?" Jack demmanded an answer. "Bad...His fever is only getting worse, he's weak and exhausted...he can barely talk, sir. I'm afraid this fever might be the end of him" Higgins said sadly. "May I see him?" Jack whispered. Higgins nodded and Jack wasted no time leaving the cabin rushing to be with his friend. He grabbed a stool and sat with Stephen, hoping to he would wake up sooner than later. He held his hand, just the feeling sent shivers up his spine. "Stephen, can you hear me?" Jack whispered. Stephen opened his eyes, they were bloodshot and sore...he smiled gently and sat up littleways. "Hello dear..Can you tell me what's happened? I remember fainting like a silly ass" Stephen laughed. "Nothing happened...You just took a nasty fall. You're all right." Jack said comfortingly. "I feel so weak...I can't feel my hands." Stephen said in a hoarse whisper. Jack quickly grabbed another blanket and threw it over his ailing friend. He rubbed his hand in hopes of warming his body, Stephen was pale and freezing. What was happening to him? Was it pneumonia?

"This has to be something more...What's going on, Jack?" Stephen asked in a stern manner. "You are very sick man, Stephen Maturin...but you no matter what happens. I'm going to make sure your well and back on your feet" Jack smiled. "Have you forgotten that you're a commander and a captain?" Stephen asked. "Not at all...Mowett will take care while I'm staying with you." Jack assured. "Jack, I'm your friend...but this...you hold the fate of England in your hands." Stephen whispered meekly. "I hold your life in my hands...That is more important than all the gold in England." Jack explained. "I'm going to get a basin...try to cool your brow" Jack got up and left. For a captian to chose a friend over his ship...was indeed a TRUE captian. Jack did not know the outcome of dipping cloths and bringing the fever down. But he had to try, he couldn't let Stephen go.


	3. Endless Night

Stephen slept peacefully for about several hours, his breathing was deeply shallow as he slept. Jack was always terrified that every breath that Stephen took would be the last. Jack rested his eyes in a chair near Stephen's hammock, Barrett Bonden, a coxswain came down into the cargo. Insantly waking the exhausted Jack.

"Captian, I hate to tell you, sir. You need your rest now" Barrett explained.

"I'm not leaving him" Jack said in a determined whisper.

"Just for the night, sir. I'll keep an eye on him" Barrett reassured Aubrey.

"If he moves the slightest finger, notify me or I'll see to it that you no longer keep a watch on him. Are we clear, Mr.Bonden?" Jack asked.

"As crystal, sir" Barrett simply said.

Jack stood up and leaned over Stephen, placing his hand on his brow.

"I'll only be gone the night, Stephen. Barrett will keep his best watch on you" Jack whispered.

Jack left Stephen for the night, knowing he would probably be making a horrid decision. The night went by so fast, Lieutenant Mowett was commanding the ship when Jack woke up.

"Everything well handed, Mowett?" Jack asked.

"Aye sir" Mowett replied simply

Jack nodded and went straight to the sick cargo, Stephen was sitting up in his hammock. He was half-asleep and it seemed his fever had gone down slightly, Barrett was by the hammock. He got up and went over to the nervous captian.

"His fever?" Jack asked almost imetidately.

"He's just woken up, sir. He sent for you" Barrett explained.

Jack gestured his head towards the cargo opening, Barrett nodded and left Jack alone with Stephen. Jack sat next to the hammock, he held Stephen's ice cold hand in his own.

"I hate being like this, Jack. I can't help your men from a hammock, and even if I could..I am still nothing to be proud of" Stephen said in modesty

"My dear doctor, you are worthy of anyone's friendship...including mine. Now, let's see if I can get you to eat a little something" Jack insisted.

"I'm not starving, Jack" Stephen said in a weak voice

"All right. Don't eat for yourself, eat for me." Jack said in a persistent voice.

Jack went to the galley and fetched some warm broth, but poor Stephen only ate a few bites and then fell asleep. It was a start, maybe not a hoping start...but none the less, a start.

_Later that night..._

Jack began reading a book on Lord Nelson, while Stephen slept for awhile. In the past hours, all Stephen could do was sleep and when he wasn't sleeping...he was having a bad case of the shivers, and if not the shivers, then quite a spell of coughing. And if not coughing, then he was vomitting. And if he wasn't vomitting, then he was having bad night sweats. Jack wanted to kill Stephen, just to put the sickly man out of his misery.

"Jack...Jack..." Stephen began whispering in his sleep.

Jack put his hand on Stephen's brow and then cooled it with a cold cloth, Stephen eventually stopped his whispering. Jack took a collective sigh of relief, he knew whatever Stephen had...it wasn't going to go away. He knew this would probably kill anyone, but then he thought _"Nothing could kill Stephen Maturin, not even Hell itself." _Jack could only hope his thoughts would come true.


End file.
